Chesterfield dealer who was thrown a lifeline by judge caught with almost £4,000 worth of drugs the day before he was due back in court

Corey Breeton was first arrested in Chesterfield in 2017 where he was found in possession of £2,800 worth of crack cocaine, Derby Crown Court heard on Monday, January 18.

The case was not heard until September 2019, where Judge Shaun Smith QC gave him a deferred prison sentence - meaning he was given a period of time in the community to show he could stay out of trouble.

But in April last year, the taxi Breeton was travelling in was pulled over in Dronfield, and bags containing £3,850 worth of cocaine and heroin were discovered under the seat he was sitting on and he was arrested again.

He had been due back before Judge Smith at Derby Crown Court the following day.

Prosecuting, Sarah Slater said that Breeton, 23, of no fixed address, was first arrested after police were called to a commercial burglary on Melton Lane, Chesterfield, in 2017, and officers became suspicious of the van he was sitting in with another man.

The van was searched and the drugs were discovered.

Speaking about the most recent offence, she told the court that Breeton had taken a taxi to the Sheffield area and made two stops - on the second occasion picking up another man who also faces court proceedings - and he was on his way back to Chesterfield with the drugs when he was arrested.

“Photographs recovered from his phone show fairly large quantities of cash, and he had been working for a well-known drugs line operating out of Sheffield into Chesterfield,” she said.

“Messages also suggested that he was further up the chain and that other people had been working for him.”

Breton had admitted possession with intent to supply Class A drugs when he appeared before the court at an earlier hearing.

Mitigating, Denny Lau told the court that Breeton felt he needed to go to prison in order for him to change his life.

“He is certainly aware of how much trouble he is in. He was released and, at that point, he had every intention of following the terms of his release. But he got back involved and the rest is history,” he said.

“For the last couple of years things have been difficult for him, and the only way for him to rebuild his life is to go away for a period of time.”

Sentencing Breeton to four-and-a-half years in prison, Judge Smith told him: “I was told that you intended to take the chance I gave you but you were soon back involved in the drugs world in a much more serious way.

“I gave you a chance and the day before you were due back before this court you were arrested near Sheffield.

He also ordered that the drugs be forfeited and destroyed. No cash was recovered from Breeton both times he was arrested.

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